Long in the Tooth (Billy Joe Shaver album)

Recording

Seven year's after his previous album Everybody's Brother was released, singer Todd Snider convinced Shaver to write new material and record a new album. Shaver called Ray Kennedy and Gary Nicholson to produce the release, consisting entirely of newly written material. Shaver co-wrote the title-track with actor Paul Gleason. Shaver defined the tracks and finished the writing while recording in the studio, completing previous ideas and selecting from his newly written work the ten tracks.

Tracks of the album featured guest appearances. Willie Nelson contributed to background vocals in "Hard To Be An Outlaw", while his harmonicist, Mickey Raphael played throughout the album. Leon Russell played piano in "Last Call For Alcohol" and Tony Joe White played guitar in the title-track. Before the release of Long In The Tooth, Nelson recorded and released "The Git Go" and "Hard To Be An Outlaw" in his country chart topper Band of Brothers.

Release

On May 22, 2014, Rolling Stone premiered the single-duet with Willie Nelson "Hard To Be An Outlaw". The album was released on August 5, 2014 by Lightning Rod Records. After a 41-year career, Long in the Tooth became Billy Joe Shaver's first album to chart in Billboard's Top Country Albums, entering the chart at 19. The album also entered the Billboard 200, peaking at 157.

Critical reception

According to the aggregate scores website Metacritic, the album opened to "generally favorable reviews", based on eight reviews. Austin Chronicle rated the album with four stars out of five, declaring: "Here's Shaver the irascible honky-tonk hero, older but no less ornery". Record Collector rated it with four stars out of five, noting that Long in the Tooth offers "a masterclass in redneck storytelling".

PopMatters rated it with seven points out of ten. The review remarked the weakening of Shaver's voice, but called it "a wonderful, expressive instrument", stating that Shaver "delivers (the words) with pizzazz". Meanwhile, American Songwriter declared Shaver's voice "perfectly suited for this material", while it called the album a "short but terrific ten track set", rating it with three-and-a-half stars out of five. Allmusic also commented on Shaver's voice, and stated that "(it) has worn to a deep, rough rasp". The review emphatizised his songwriting, calling it "strong and as vital and world-weary wise as ever". Rating it with three stars out of five, The Observer declared: "Sometimes ornery, sometimes tender, this is how honky-tonk heroes grow old".

Esquire opined that the release was "arguably (Shaver's) most fully realized album in a 50-plus-year career". Meanwhile, Uncut rated it with eight points out of ten, calling it "a haunting, burning, world-weary tour de force on the ways of the world".

Personnel